Titanium
by ElevatedSuperstar
Summary: After an accident at the pool, the boys vow to do everything they can to help get James's dreams back on track, no matter what the cost.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Before you ask anything, I'm still doing my other story, Words Unspoken, but I just wanted to publish this other one I'm working on too. On Words Unspoken, I'm probably going to have one or two more chapters, then an epilogue, and I don't plan on this story being too incredibly long.**

**Anywho, I hope you all like it, so enjoy :)**

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Chapter 1

"Come on James, are you ready yet?" Kendall asked outside of his room. There was too much impatience in his voice for his liking, but he couldn't help it; it was already evening, and the pool wouldn't be open much longer.

"If I were ready, I'd be out there." James answered, and Kendall could hear him give a small laugh at the blonde's low tolerance for slowness. Finally, James opened his door and came out of his room.

"Are you sure we should go swimming right now? I mean, it's already kind of dark…"

"What? Are you scared of the dark?" And just like that, it worked.

"No! Let's go."

Kendall knew, as well as everyone else, that if you wanted to make James do something, all you had to do was make it sound like _he _didn't want to. Then boom. Just like that, he was on board.

"Loganator, you ready?" Kendall called into the kitchen as he strode across the living room.

"Yes, but I still think we should just wait til' morning to go swimming. This is pointless and reckless."

"Come on Logie! Everyone knows the evening crowd leaves around eight, and its eight-forty! We'll have the pool all to ourselves." Carlos grinned, appearing in yellow Hawaiian swim-shorts.

"Yeah, for twenty minutes." Logan retorted, shutting the fridge. The sun had already set, and the boys knew Mr. Bitters wouldn't be pleased about the late swimming on a week night.

"He's right you guys, maybe we should just stay in. We have to get up early tomorrow for harmonies, and Gustavo won't be too happy if we're only half awake." James pointed out, eying the darkness outside with a great distaste.

"Come on you guys. We'll swim for a little bit, then we can come back and go straight to bed. I _promise_. Please?" Kendall looked around at his friends.

"I'm in." Carlos said at once, ready for fun.

Logan sighed. "Fine, I'm in. But we won't stay past nine."

Kendall looked at his last friend. "James?"

James sighed, putting his hand in the middle with the other three. "Yeah, I'm in."

Kendall grinned. "Excellent. Everything will be fine guys. I promise."

That was the second promise Kendall Knight broke that evening.

"See guys? The pool lights are on, and this is way more fun than going to bed early." Carlos chirped, hopping over to the pool. Kendall noted all of his friends' ware bouts, doing a brief head-check. Carlos was by the edge, Logan… okay, Logan was hanging in the back, looking around uneasily. Where was James?

Kendall spotted the brunette boy by the cabanas. He was sitting in the chair, eyes dilated, watching Carlos splash into the pool.

"Hey," Kendall said, approaching him. Logan joined Carlos in the pool. James looked up as Kendall took a seat next to him. "What's up?"

"Nothing. I'm just going to sit here and watch." James said in a plain voice.

"Come on Jay, you can tell me." Kendall pushed.

James shrugged. "I'm just not crazy about the idea of being out here in the dark. Especially swimming."

Kendall nodded in understanding. "Alright. But if you want to join us, remember that me and Carlos are in the pool too."

James's brow furrowed together. "What about Logan?"

Kendall waved his hand, smiling, before lifting his voice so it carried over to his other two friends. "Logan's a scaredy-cat, everyone knows that."

"Hey!" Logan called back defensively. "Am not!"

"Are so!" Kendall called back. He gave James's shoulder a pat before running over and diving into the pool head-first. He surfaced, splashing Carlos in the face.

Carlos sputtered, wiping the chlorine from his eyes. "So, what do we want to do during this late night swim?"

Kendall shrugged. "I don't know. It's a beautiful night. We could…" Kendall began to float on his back, fingertips skimming below the water. "stargaze." He made his voice dreamlike.

"_That _is the girliest thing I've heard all day. And we live with your eleven year old sister." Said Logan, grinning at Kendall. Kendall made a face, followed by Logan sticking out his tongue. From across the pool and by the lobby, James sat under his cabana watching. He grinned at his friends' small fights, but he knew it was all in good fun. In fact, this whole thing was meant to be fun. James stood up and walked over to the pool, slipping his legs over the edge so he was wet to his ankles.

"Nice of you to join us." Carlos said from the other side of the pool, pink noodle under his arms. "Kendall wants to _stargaze_."

"I was joking and you know it!" Kendall said, reddening a bit. James shook his head, laughing with his friends. It really was a nice night…

But no. He was much more comfortable watching. For some reason, swimming when it was dark out freaked him out. Probably that movie the guys made him watch with them when he was fourteen. He couldn't even remember what it was called, but he remembered that swimming at night time was not smart.

"Hey, we should play Marco-polo!" Carlos suggested excitedly. Marco-polo turned into Logan and Kendall stealthily exiting the pool, running around the edges so that Carlos, when he finally gave up, opened his eyes to see that he had been chasing nothing.

"That wasn't fair!" Carlos whined.

"You never laid down any rules!" Kendall said through his chuckles.

"You'll pay for that Kendall!"

Kendall laughed. "How?"

James smiled, watching his friends start a tsunami war while Logan went to the other side of the pool to do flips in the bottom. James stood up and watched.

But as their fight got more aggressive, nobody was quite sure how it happened. It was one of those things the boys weren't sure they'd ever get the answer to.

All that was clear was that when Logan surfaced to watch Kendall and Carlos continue their childish fight, he saw the pool-lights shimmering eerily over the water, and they reflected something red. He swam the length of the pool and gasped. James was lying near the steps, half-submerged, half-not, and his head was next to the rail, surrounded by…

"Knock it off!" Logan yelled, making Carlos and Kendall immediately stop. Logan pulled himself out of the pool, hurriedly dashing around the pool to the steps where he pulled James out of the water, lying him flat. Logan looked over at Kendall and Carlos. "Go get help. Now."

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**Okay, so I knew this was pretty short. By the third chapter, probably, the plot will become more clear and there will be a specific goal in mind. I just need some room to get things rolling! So, I hope you all liked it or at least tolerated it XD Also, thanks to all of you that read my other stories! See you all next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys. I appreciate all of the attention both of my chapter stories are getting, and I decided I'd do a quick update for this one. Man, I'm having a terrible week. But reading everyone's reviews... it always makes me feel better. Thank you everyone.**

**I do not own Big Time Rush or anything else you may recognize. Also, don't freak out. I promise this isn't an amnesia story. First off, I'd feel like I was stealing someone else's plot. Also I don't think I'd be able to write one of those with my strange style of writing. So, enjoy.**

Chapter 2

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"I don't know, I just look around, and there he was," Kendall heard Logan's panicked voice filled with tightness. His breathing was hard, like he'd run all the way to the hospital room. "Then he was just, and… I was so scared…" he trailed off. Kendall sat back down, placing his head in his hands. Logan was trembling slightly, like a draft had entered the room.

"I understand. Are you sure you don't know what happened?" Mrs. Knight asked, crossing her arms with a worried frown. Logan shook his head.

"Carlos," both Logan and Mrs. Knight turned, hearing Kendall speak for the first time since entering the room. "Leave him be."

Carlos turned around, eyes wide. He had been shaking James lightly, trying with little hope to rouse him. "Sorry. I thought maybe he was just sleeping. Like, _really _deeply."

"No, he's just exhausted. The doctor said he was awake right before we came in. I'm sure he's fine." Logan said, peering at the monitor near the door.

Kendall let out a troubled sigh, trying to swallow the tension in his throat. If he lost it… no. He didn't want to lose it. Not here, not now, not ever.

"I'm going to go to the front desk. The nurse told me the doctor could tell me about the details there." Mrs. Knight said, stooping to pick up her purse. "Sit tight, okay?"

"Can I come too?" Logan asked hopefully.

Mrs. Knight frowned. "That wouldn't be fair. I don't think the doctor wants all three of you to come with me while he's delivering important news. What if only one of you came?"

"Kendall?" Logan asked, automatically asking him for permission.

"Go ahead. I don't want to go." Everyone looked surprised, so Kendall tried again. "I mean, I just want to make sure James is okay." Now everyone nodded, like this made sense.

"Okay, we'll be back before long." Mrs. Knight left with a fidgety Logan following in tow. The door shut, leaving just Kendall and Carlos.

"He'll wake up soon, right Kendall?" Carlos blurted once the door latched itself.

"Yes." He answered at once, mentally hating himself. There was another promise he wasn't sure he could keep. It was just easier though, promising things. It always made getting through something easier. Until that promise broke, of course.

James twitched a little in his sleep making both boys lean forward to watch cautiously. But there was no further movement.

"What happens when he does wake up?"

"I don't know Carlos."

"Will we just go back to singing, or will he have to stay home and get better?"

"I don't _know_, Carlos."

He paused, before asking, "Will he be alright?"

"Carlos, I know just as much as you do!" Kendall snapped, instantly feeling guilty. Carlos nodded in understanding, mumbling an apology. Kendall wanted to apologize himself, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was too scared of what might come tumbling out of his mouth. And now was not the time to break down and cry. It would just cause Carlos to panic. Or worse, blame Kendall.

Kendall's stomach dropped. It felt just like going down the tall hill of a rollercoaster. The two friends watched in awe as James's head tilted a little, his hazel eyes opening. It was so quick, they could've almost imagined the whole thing. James inhaled loudly before he returned his head to its original position, eyes shutting once more.

"Did you see that?" Carlos hissed.

"Yeah. That's got to be a good thing, right?"

Carlos shrugged. "Can't be bad from what I can tell." They both jerked a little when they heard the sound of the office door opening. Logan hurried in, taking his seat next to Kendall. A tall man with a stethoscope, obviously the doctor, entered after Mrs. Knight. Logan looked a little shaken, but he wasn't crying or anything. Kendall decided to take this as a good sign.

"His heartbeat seems to be normal, that's a good sign. Did you boys notice any stirrings or signs of movement?" The doctor asked, turning to look at Kendall and Carlos.

"Yeah! He moved his head and his eyes opened a little bit. That's good right?" Carlos asked quickly.

"I think we can take this as a positive sign." The doctor agreed, giving Carlos a closed mouth smiled. He then lowered something running through James's IV. Kendall was no doctor, but he knew this guy was lowering the amount of medicine going through the tube so James wouldn't be so sleepy. It didn't take long to work, they soon found out.

"So what is wrong with him?" Carlos asked at once while the doctor sat across the room, writing something on a piece of paper in illegible handwriting,

Logan fell into doctor mode at once. "Well, the impact of the fall damaged his head mostly. James had to receive six stitches, but that was done about two hours ago. It seems to everyone that looked over James believes he has a concussion, which according to the way he was acting while conscious, is severe. When he wakes up, it may be better, or it could be the same. We'll just have to wait and see."

Everyone nodded slowly, even Mrs. Knight who had been there. Finally, Kendall spoke up. "So, what happens if he does have a severe concussion?"

Logan sounded like he was spitting out a web article. "It could last for days, weeks, maybe even longer. His symptoms could range from dizziness and seeing stars, to other things like headaches, blacking out, nausea, and being constantly worn out."

That did not sound good.

"Anything else?"

"He might- oh look he's awake!" Logan called, pointing at the hospital bed where their best friend was currently lying in.

"Is he okay?"

"How can we tell if he's alright?"

"How are you feeling?" Carlos asked directly.

James sat up, his hair a little ruffled from his pillow. He blinked several times, his eyes shutting to slits. Everyone watched as his fingers shook a little while tapping on the railing of the bed. His fingers made little _ping_ noises in the quiet room, making it sound amplified. Then, he spoke.

"What happened?"

There was a panicked moment in the room. Everyone exchanged worried looks until the doctor spoke. Kendall didn't even know his name, nor did he care, but he was the important voice right now.

"This can happen sometimes. Temporary amnesia is common, especially surrounding the ordeal of disturbance." He turned to address James. "Can you tell me your name?"

James looked confused and in pain all at once. He nodded slowly before stopping, bringing a clenched hand to his head. "It's James…" he muttered. The doctor scribbled something down. Everyone murmured in relief, but not Kendall.

"What's wrong with his voice?"

Everyone paused, looking at Kendall.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Knight asked.

"I mean what's wrong with his voice?" Kendall repeated. Were they all too caught up in their happiness that he was showing signs of life they didn't even hear him? "It sounds… different."

"Kendall, he's probably tired and disoriented." Logan said gently, placing a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. Kendall shrugged it off.

"No, it's different. Why is his voice different? Is it going to go back?" he asked in growing frustration. Carlos and Logan exchanged a look while Mrs. Knight frowned. James just looked down right worried.

"James, could you repeat after me please?" The doctor asked. James nodded slowly. "I want you to say, 'My name is James Diamond. I live in California.'"

"My name is James Diamond. I live in California."

Everyone paused as the doctor frowned, scribbling more notes. James asked what had happened once more, but nobody answered.

"Okay, I'll be back before too long. You folks just sit tight, okay?" he left, not waiting for an answer.

"Logan?" Kendall asked at once.

"Sometimes with concussion comes a slurred voice." Logan answered.

"What's wrong with my voice?" James asked. It was definitely noticeable now, sounding almost like he was drunk, tired, or both. He looked around at the ugly beige walls, eyes resting on the group standing before him. "Someone tell me what happened! Why am I here?"

"It's okay James. Stay calm. Everything is alright." Mrs. Knight said soothingly.

"How can you say that?" Kendall cried out. "Everything is _not _okay!"

He was interrupted by the return of the doctor. "I forgot to ask a few questions." He took a seat on his backless stool. "James, can you tell me the last thing you remember?"

They all watched as their friend paused, seriously considering the question. He didn't answer.

"Anything at all?"

"I can't remember… why can't I remember?" Kendall thought his heart just shattered into a million pieces.

"It's alright. Just take a deep breath."

"Why can't I remember? Why does my voice sound like this?" James asked in rising panic. Kendall covered his face.

"James, it's necessary for you to remain calm. Can you do that for me?"

James took some deep, shuddering breaths as tears ran out of his eyes. Carlos leaned over, tears in his eyes too, rubbing his arm.

"I- I remember when we got home from school. Logan told me he was going to go start his history project. Then me and… and Carlos went upstairs." James said.

"That was like four days ago!" Carlos cried. Logan slapped his arm while James's face became more worried. Kendall couldn't understand why his voice was so slurred…

"That's okay. Can you tell me what you and Carlos did upstairs?" the doctor asked. James shook his head. The doctor then took something out of his pocket. It was a ballpoint pen. He waved it back and forth, commanding James to follow it with his eyes. Kendall and Logan exchanged a worried glance when they noticed how unfocused their friend's eyes were. It was like he was looking without seeing. "That's okay. It's a start. I'm going to go file these right away." Then he exited once again.

"Why does my head hurt?" James asked quietly.

"You hit it at the pool and got a concussion. Remember?" Carlos asked lightly. Kendall turned away, murmuring quietly to Logan.

"How long is this going to ask Logan? How long before his voice comes back?"

Logan shrugged. "I don't know. But he's awake and talking… why are you so hung up on his voice? Sure, it's a bit slanted, but it could be much worse."

"I know, I know. I'm just saying…" Logan waited for him to explain. But Kendall didn't finish. He just knew that the voice thing was worse than anything else.

"You're sure? Alright, thanks Camille." Kendall looked as Carlos closed his cell phone, turning back to Mrs. Knight. "Katie says she wants to come and visit James. Camille is coming to drop her off."

"It's three in the morning… she should be sleeping." Mrs. Knight said. "But I do feel more comfortable knowing where all of my children are."

"I wish there was some padding on these chairs." Logan commented, prodding at the thick, gray plastic with the gritty texture behind his back. "If we're staying here all night and all."

Kendall gasped. "We never told Gustavo or Kelly!"

"So?" Carlos asked. Everyone rolled their eyes.

"_So_, don't you think we should tell the people we work for that we are skipping rehearsals and that one of their workers is injured?" Logan asked. Carlos shrugged. "I'll call Kelly. She always takes things better." He flipped his phone out, punching in the numbers.

"You've been awfully quiet." Kendall looked up from the ugly carpet as his mom took a seat beside him. He gave a half-hearted shrug, barely noticing Carlos go off to the vending machines. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"There's nothing to say about it." Kendall replied flatly. "James got hurt, we brought him, he's messed up."

Mrs. Knight looked more worried now. "Kendall, I know you don't mean that. We both know that this is much more than that. James is your best friend, and you're worried for him."

Kendall sighed. "It's not just that. It's… I-I can't explain. Can we talk about this later Mom?"

Getting the hint that Kendall was upset and needed space, his mom nodded, standing up. "Alright, but don't hesitate if you want to talk. You can always talk to Carlos and Logan too. I'm going to go wait for Katie. I'll be by the lobby if you need me."

Kendall nodded. He was relieved to have his mom let him be, but at the same time, he was secretly wishing she had insisted on staying.

James opened his eyes again. The throbbing in his head was terrible, and he felt tired, sore, and weak all over. It was not a good combination.

"Can I have a glass of water?" he asked the nurse who hadn't noticed he was awake.

"Sure, I'll be right back."

He heard it. He heard his voice. He was starting to get what Kendall was saying. It was hard to think, but he noticed it didn't sound right. Like it wasn't as high as usual, but it definitely wasn't low. It sounded like he was under the influence or something. The nurse returned with his water. He drank it quickly, hoping it would cure his vocal chords. It did not.

"What time is it?" he asked.

The nurse checked her watch. "It's six fifteen."

James thanked her, but not before he noticed the look she had. It was one of those annoying faces that people had like when they were trying to act cheery for little kids. He was sixteen!

"Do you want me to let your guests know you're up?" James nodded, surprised that everyone stayed overnight. He didn't even know what had happened to him, and he was going to find out.

James looked around the dim room. He was told that light and loud sounds would upset his concussion, so it was kept dark and quiet, much to his dismay. He didn't much like the dark.

Somebody's face appeared in the door, and they edged in. "Hi!" Carlos called quietly, as though not sure if James was completely awake or not. He offered a weak smile.

"Hey Carlos." Carlos tiptoed over, even though it was a one person room. He leaned down, giving James a surprisingly gentle hug.

Logan came in next, walking next to Katie. He was surprised to see Katie. She hurried over, giving James a hug on her other side. Logan stood with his arms folded lightly, smiling at the scene.

"James, are you okay? I was at home and then everyone was at the hospital."

"I think I'm okay. I mean, nobody tells me anything anymore." He flashed Logan a smart smile. Logan made a face back.

"Well be more careful! That scared me!" Katie admitted.

Mrs. Knight came into the room, asking him how he was feeling. James said the typical one word of 'fine', but Mrs. Knight seemed satisfied. Kendall came slouching in last of all, looking moody and displeased. James looked at him expectantly, not going unnoticed by Logan. Logan gave Kendall a look, but he didn't say anything. Instead he flung himself into a guest chair, crossing one leg across his lap and staring at the floor.

"Kendall?" James asked. He noticed his friend cringe, like somebody was using a power saw.

"Hmm?" was all he answered, still looking down. James felt crushed. What had happened?

"Kendall, is everything… everything okay?" it felt like he was choking on his own words, but he had to know.

"Yep."

"Oh. Alright then."

"So," Mrs. Knight said to cover up the awkward moment. "At noon you get to come home James. Isn't that exciting?"

"Yeah." James said, still looking a bit crestfallen at his friend across the room. "Yeah, it is."

"We've all decided after last night, we're going to be much more careful. No more late night pools." Logan declared. James looked up in confusion. "We were at the pool. Do you remember that? And, nobody really knew what happened. But when I came out of the water, you were lying on the side and you were bleeding… it scared us Jay."

"You don't know what happened?" James's newly slow voice asked.

"Nope. That's probably why it was so scary. That and, well, the whole you-getting-hurt thing. That was scary too."

"What did Gustavo and Kelly say?"

"They didn't pick up. I'm going to try again around seven." Logan said. "But don't worry about anything James. You just concentrate on getting better."

Easier said than done.

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**So, feel free to tell me what you think. It's a litte iffy right now, but I'm having fun writing this because it is different from all of my other stories. Thanks for reading and everything.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone, I'm back. Between computer problems, internet problems, family problems, personal problems, and school problems, I've finally found time. I took a break from writing to let my stress calm down, and now I'm back. Before too long, I'll hopefully update Words Unspoken, but it might take longer. My computer deleted the two chapters I wrote for it, but that's okay!**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this. Some people said they loved it, and I feel bad for taking so long to update. (over a month, cough) But yeah, I appreciate all of you readers! You make my day!**

**So I don't own Big Time Rush or the song Titanium. Otherwise, I'd buy a better laptop that doesn't shut off and delete my stories. ENJOY!**

**Titanium-Chapter 3**

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Kendall punched the radio button, sitting in the driver's seat. The song blared out, and he listened._.'I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim. Fire away, fire away. You shoot me down, but I get up. I am titanium.'_

Kendall pressed the button with force to stop the song. For some reason, it sent shivers up his spine, and he didn't like it. He drove the thoughts from his mind, and instead focused on the doors to the hospital. His mom went to take Katie back to the Palm Woods so she could get at least part of a school day in. He had volunteered to go as well, deciding to drive the band's shared vehicle back to the hospital. Now it was a little past twelve, but there was no sight of his friends. He got these nauseas twists in his stomach.

Finally, the revolving doors opened, pushed by an unusually cautious Carlos. Then, he watched Carlos run back over to Logan and James. Kendall looked away, feeling guilt swarm inside of him at the scene. Logan had James's arm over his shoulders, helping him walk in a straight line. It was a surprise that he could come home so soon in his condition, but the doctors said that there was nothing more they could do for him. He'd have to heal with time, and that should be done at home. Carlos was now helping also. It seemed that James was still _very _disoriented.

The back door opened, and Carlos got in after James did. Logan closed the door carefully before running to the passenger seat and getting in. "Sorry. We had to have a little battle in there. What with Carlos dead positive he got to sit in the back with James when I already said I was going to. We had to duke it out with rock paper scissors." Logan smiled a little at the childish way to lose an argument. Carlos gave him a smug look.

Kendall hid his miniature frown. But of course, who would want to sit up front with him? He looked in his rearview mirror, bringing the car to a stop when he saw James's shaky fingers fumbling around the seatbelt.

"Carlos, if you're going to sit in the back with James, you've got to help him out." He ordered in a parental voice.

Carlos looked over, seeing what he had missed. "Oh, sorry! Here, let me get that…" There was a sharp click, and Kendall resumed the drive. Everyone was pretty quiet. It was a notch below awkward.

"Do you feel better than you did this morning?" Logan asked, turning in his seat so he could see James. Kendall figured Logan must be really concerned. Logan always said, 'face the front to stay safe!' while in the car.

"Well, I don't know. I have to wear these sunglasses." James gestured loosely to the shades on his eyes. "Because the light hurts a lot. My head hurts a lot and, yeah…" Kendall tried to block out his voice. It made him feel sick, both what he was saying and how slurred and run together his words were. Finally, he reached over, turning the music back on. Logan turned, giving him a disappointed look. Kendall pretended to look confused, but he felt ashamed. Maybe Logan knew more about what he was feeling than he was letting on.

"No, I think I can do it." James said, getting to his feet. He closed the door, walking ever so slowly across the parking lot. The world looked like it was lurching to the side, but he forced himself steady. He kept his eyes squinted downwards, away from the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays. But the pain in his head was returning, so he slowed down considerably, eyes closing. A hand went around his arm.

"Come on James, let's get up to 2J." It was Kendall. James didn't much like the commanding tone of his voice. Somehow, he couldn't quite explain it; James had the feeling that Kendall was avoiding him. But nonetheless, whether it was his highly medicated imagination or the truth, Kendall helped him walk until they were in the lobby.

"Oh, okay. Thanks Kendall." James said, his voice sounding strange to his own ears. Kendall didn't say anything, instead speeding up to walk with Carlos. James tried to hide his hurt, but it must've been evident on his face.

"Logan?" James asked quietly. Logan reversed and turned so he could be walking with him.

"Yeah?"

"Is Kendall… is he okay?"

Logan looked at the blonde's back, side by side with Carlos. "Yeah," he said slowly. "Yeah, Kendall's okay. Why? Did he say something to you?"

James looked away. "No." he answered quietly. "He didn't say anything at all."

Logan was about to reply when Carlos turned around, calling, "Come on you guys!"

James watched Logan shake his head. "Carlos, follow me this way. We have to take the stairs. It isn't a good idea for James to be taking the elevator yet."

_Oh great,_ he thought to himself. _I've been back less than five minutes and everything is already messing up._

Going up the stairs was a long, tedious process. With one hand firmly clutched around the hand rail and the other around Logan's forearm, it seemed to take ages. Once they started on the second flight, Kendall and Carlos were long out of sight.

"Sorry," he muttered, trying to keep the pain from his voice. James was thankful for the shades; they could hide the pain and embarrassment on his facial features.

"It's okay. I know this isn't your fault." Logan reassured him. Finally, they made it to the apartment.

Logan led James over to the couch, depositing him swiftly. Mrs. Knight appeared from the kitchen, offering him a glass of cold water.

"Thank you." He told her, taking a sip while Logan went off to the bathroom.

"Not a problem. How are you feeling? Any better?" she asked him, looking him over as though there was going to be some new sign of injury she had overlooked.

"I feel… better, I think." He answered, running a hand through his brown hair. He didn't like how much effort it took to think, how much it took to speak, or how these lights were suddenly giving him the beginnings of a migraine. "The doctors… they let me, I, they…" he paused, taking in a breath to restart the sentence. "They told me that they could do the stitches without cutting, cutting my hair."

Mrs. Knight smiled warmly. "James, that's great news!" He turned so she could see the back of his head, where he happily pointed to his still intact hair. "How is your head feeling?"

"It hurts." He admitted. "But I'm okay."

"If it does start hurting worse, you let me know." She commanded, suddenly serious. James nodded, stopping because it made his head pulsate.

Sitting alone, he began to think. What had happened at the pool? It was so hard to remember anything, but slow chinks of memory were floating back over time, weaving a transparent structure of the last few days. He was standing by the edge… then nothing. What could've happened?

"Hey James!" James looked up, seeing Carlos flip his helmet onto his head. "Whatcha' doing?"

James smiled at his friend. "Just sitting here on the couch."

"Thought so! Well, if you're up for something fun later on, or you want to watch a movie, just text me!" James nodded, feeling around, suddenly remembering for the first time that he didn't have his phone. Carlos paused in walking away, turning. "Logan's got it."

"Thanks."

Either timing was great or Carlos mentioned it, because Logan came a few moments later with James's phone. He thanked his friend, sliding his finger on the screen to unlock it. The light was bright and made his head throb fiercely, but he wanted to check his texts.

"Hey, did you ever get a hold of Gustavo and Kelly?"

"Yeah, I didn't give them all of the details though, so don't be surprised if they-" Logan stopped as James's phone suddenly began vibrating. New text from Camille. New text from Kelly. Missed call from Kelly. Missed call from Mrs. Knight. New text from Mrs. Knight. Another two calls from Kelly.

"I feel popluyar." James said. Logan gave him a crooked smile at the way he mispronounced the word, reaching to mess with his hair, but stopping, remembering that this would be a bad idea with the recent stitches. Instead, he stood. "I'm going to go work on my laptop. If you need me, just text, yell, whatever."

"Thanks Logan."

Then James was alone again.

Sitting in the silence, James sorted his thoughts. This was actually much harder than he thought it would be, considering getting a firm grip on anything was an effort and a half. If he wanted to find out what had happened, he was going to ask Carlos. Kendall was acting weird, and Logan would try to sugarcoat it. Carlos was the best bet for honesty, and he wouldn't be too hard to crack.

"Carlos!" his voice called out, sounding pitchy. James frowned, not liking it much. Nevertheless, Carlos came from the bathroom, hurrying through the kitchen and leaping over to the couch.

"Yeah?" he asked expectantly, like an overly enthused waiter.

"Errr… Um, could you… could you grab me a blanket?" James asked, thinking of the first thing that came to his mind. Plus, he was a little chilly.

"No problem! Be back in a… in nineteen seconds!" Carlos flew from the living room and towards the laundry room. In moments, he returned with a warm and fluffy blanket draped in his arms. The hyperactive Carlos becoming suddenly gentle as a mother crouched down, carefully tucking it around his injured friend with great care. Then, satisfied with his work, he sat down on a chair.

"Do you need something else?"

"Nah, I'm good now…" James said, feigning tiredness. In truth, he was in far too much pain to even think of sleeping. "So how did I get like this anyway?"

"James…" Carlos said. "The doctor said we shouldn't give you lots of details from the last few days. Because if you remember on your own, we can know if you're getting better."

"Oh I know," James said, trying to wave off Carlos's words inconspicuously. "It's just, I've been sitting here _thinking _about it, and they, it, it's worrying me. Like, I know it happened at the pool. But I was just thinking, I must've tripped or _something-_"

"You didn't trip!" Carlos interrupted. Then he looked both ways before lowering his voice. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you. But here goes." James victory cheered in his head. "See, you weren't swimming with us, and we didn't know why, because you always swim with us in the day time. So you were just watching, and then Kendall and I were messing around. Then Logan checked to see where you were, and you were just lying there unconscious. It was so scary James." Fear crept into Carlos's eyes. "Logan quick made me and Kendall carry you to the car while he called the hospital. Then Kendall was driving, and Logan told him you must've passed out or something, but we don't know why. Then when you woke up after getting stitches, you were like this, with your voice different and your head hurting and your senses all… sensitive."

James processed all of this. So it just happened then? And nobody knew why. Tiredness struck him out of nowhere, another symptom Logan had mentioned to him.

"Well, thanks Carlos. I appreciate you telling me all of that."

Carlos smiled. "Anything to make you happy James! So, what's it like right now?"

"In honesty?" James said, stretching his legs out. "Crap. The lights are too bright, the noises too loud, and I feel dizzy, sick, and tired all at once. But, Iyah, I, I'm just glad that I'm back home."

Carlos gave him a quick hug. "I'm glad you're home too, little bro."

James laughed lightly, ignoring the marginable difference from his old laugh. "You're hardly older than me."

"Hardly." Carlos agreed. "But it still counts."

James was in the middle of responding, but he forgot what he was going to say. Instead, he decided falling asleep would be really nice…

_Wham!_

Kendall's foot throbbed as he hopped backwards. In a sudden burst of anger, he had kicked at his dresser with all of his might. The wooden structure quaked, but it didn't matter. It just made him madder. It was said that Kendall had anger issues; Kendall thought of it as coping methods. If he did not break something soon, he was going to suffocate in self-loathing.

_Snap!_

There were a few knocks followed by Logan's voice. "Kendall?"

Kendall looked down at his hands, small beads of blood inching down his knuckles. He blinked, taking in the sight of the hunk of dry wall missing from the wall.

Logan entered the room. "Kendall, what are you doing in here?"

"I was just, you know. Going to sleep."

"Kendall, it's only," Logan turned to the alarm clock. "Three in the afternoon!"

"So?" Kendall snarled with hostility. "I can't go to sleep when I'm tired? Do I have to ask first?"

Logan stepped back, looking wounded. "No, you can do what you want. I was just checking on you."

"Well don't!" Kendall yelled, fuming. "I don't need you to look after me, Logan! You've been giving me all sorts of secretive looks since we got to the hospital, nudging me and asking me stuff and I am fine! Okay, so can I please just go to sleep now?"

Logan looked deeply hurt. He nodded, backing up to the door. Kendall never hated himself more. But Logan's eyes traveled to his hand.

"Kendall, what happened to your hand? Did you break it or something?" he shrugged, and Logan stepped forward again. "Look, these two knuckles look caved in. We should go get this wrapped or something. What happened?"

Kendall looked away. "Punched the wall."

Logan bit his lip. "Kendall, what's going on? You've been acting… different since, well, since yesterday."

"I'm fine Logan. I've been acting normal." Lies, lies, lies!

"No. You haven't."

"Yes I have. I'm going to go wrap this now if you'll excuse me." Kendall said, brushing past his shorter friend.

"But I-"

Logan didn't get to finish as the door shut. He sighed, taking a seat on Kendall's bed. There was something wrong with James, yes. Something terribly wrong. But he couldn't explain why he was twice as worried about Kendall.

* * *

**So the plot thickens! Okay, not really, that's just an epic phrase I've always wanted to use. I hope you guys liked this chapter, even though it's a tad lacking. But anywho, it's past 9 and I need to study! Thanks for reading, and until NEXT TIME! Deuces!**


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